Fighting Back
by HPFanForLife
Summary: What if Lily and James never died? What if Harry was famous for another reason? Read and Review, I hope you enjoy this!
1. Telling James

Author's Note: Hello there. This is my first real fanfic that I'm actually publishing, so please read and review. Midterm exams are beginning soon, but I'll keep up and try to update as often as possible. Now, onto the chapter!

  
  


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related. The brilliant mind of J. K. Rowling does. So, don't sue me.

  
  


Chapter One: Telling James

  
  


Late October...

  
  


"You don't mean...?" Lily Potter asked her doctor, Dr. Philips.

  
  


Dr. Philips chuckled and looked down at Lily laying on the examination table. She started to move her tools away and said, "Yes, dear, I do. You're definitely pregnant."

  
  


With that said, Lily got up and walked out of the office. At the front, she paid the receptionist for her visit and thanked everyone, then walked out.

  
  


_-_-_**_-_-_

  
  


How am I going to tell James?, she wondered. We've wanted to start a family for so long, but I can't imagine how he might take it. Oh, God, please let him be as happy as I am, she told herself as she apparated back onto the front porch of her home.

  
  


Her home was large, and made up mostly of beige colored stone called stucco. There were windows in the front and back, but none on the side. The front door was a deep blue, which James had picked the color of. 

  
  


When Lily walked through the front door, she could see her husband and another young man sitting in their living room, laughing. Her husband, James Potter, was young and had black hair that was usually untidy no matter how hard he tried to keep it ruly. He looked up and saw Lily, then motioned for her to come sit with him.

  
  


"Hello Lily!" the second man exclaimed, jumping up. He ran up to her and gave her a bear hug. His black hair, almost as unruly as James', bobbed up and down as he ran towards her.

  
  


"Sirius Black, you haven't been around for ages! We've missed you!" she said, returning the hug. "What have you been up to?"

  
  


Sirius looked at them and his eyes seemed to sink. "Nothing important. Just relaxing more at home. I've tried to keep from having too busy of a life."

  
  


"So, honey, how was your doctor's appointment?" James asked, seeming not to have noticed how waxen Sirius looked at that point. "What were they able to tell you about your sickness?"

  
  


Lily suddenly remembered what she had found out, and sat down on their beige sofa. She searched for exactly the right words to say, not wanting to alarm James. I wish Sirius had only come tomorrow, she thought, this would be a little easier without him hanging around.

  
  


"Well," she began, "I guess there really is no other way to tell you this, except..-"

  
  


"Are you alright? There's nothing wrong, is there?" asked James, his face emitting a sudden worry and concern towards his wife. He took her hands in his and held them tight.

  
  


"No, James, I'm fine. But...we're going to have a baby." Lily visibly relaxed at having gotten it out. Sirius let out a cry of joy, all while James sat on the couch looking dumbstruck. "James? Honey, are you alright?" 

  
  


James opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find his voice. All he could do was stare at Lily, and then turn to glare at Sirius who was now dancing about. "Are you serious?" was all he could manage to ask.

  
  


"Yes. That's what Dr. Philips told me. She said I was definitely pregnant, no doubt about it." Then she added, seeing the look on James' face, "this is what you wanted, isn't it?"

  
  


"Of course, Lily! I love you more than life itself, and now we've created a new life! I'm gonna be a daddy!" James seemed to have finally comprehended what news he just learned. He stood up and started laughing and dancing along with Sirius. "I've got to let the other Marauders know!"

  
  


He stood up and walked quickly towards the writing desk in the living room, picking up a quill and a large piece of parchment. Scribbling on the paper, he wrote two short notes.

  
  


Dear Remus,

How have you been? I'm great here. Guess what! Lily's pregnant! Hope I get to see you soon. Please stop by, we all miss you.

Your friend,

James a.k.a Prongs

  
  
  
  


Dear Peter,

Guess what, Wormtail? Lily's pregnant! I'm gonna be a father! Can't wait to see you, it's been too long, old friend. Stop by, we can't wait.

Your friend,

James a.k.a Prongs

  
  


And with that, he tore the parchment into two and rolled them up. He then walked over to his large barn owl sitting on the perch and tied the letters to his legs. "Take these to Peter and Remus," he said gently and stroked the bird's feathers before it took flight.

  
  


He then turned back around to see Sirius still dancing, while Lily sat on the couch looking relieved. All sorts of thoughts were swirling through his head as he made his way back to his wife.

  
  


"Well, it looks like we finally are going to have a family," he stated simply, and then sat down next to Lily, putting his arm around her shoulders. "One important thing left, other than all the planning that's needed," he started, "what will our baby's name be?"

  
  


Lily laughed a short, gentle laugh and said, "James Potter, you rush too much. We don't even know if it's a boy or girl yet!" She then leaned in towards him, closing her lips on his, and kissed him deeply.

  
  


Sirius rolled his eyes, then told them, "Well, who wants to go out for a nice celebration dinner? My treat!"

  
  


They all got up and started chatting merrily about the soon to be addition to the Potter household. James and Lily apparated together, arm in arm, then Sirius went after them. Right before he apparated, he said, "I hope they'll be all right.."

  
  
  
  


A/N: Ok so I hope you all liked that first chapter. You can flame, or just review me. I'm not gonna stop, this is mostly for myself anyway. Adios!


	2. The Names

A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for reading my story so far, if you even haven't. Thank you very much to RicaSieg(akaBlossom) and Miss Cleo for my very first two reviews! On with the story!  
  


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related. The brilliant mind of J. K. Rowling does. So, don't sue me. Oh, but I do own any spells or people you don't recognize! :-p  
  


Chapter Two: The Names  
  


Mid-April...  
  


Lily had been in the kitchen all morning, and the half that was the afternoon so far. It was two o' clock, so she figured she still had a few hours before everyone arrived for the party James and her were throwing. James had insisted upon throwing a small party because of Lily's pregnancy, but didn't want a baby shower. Instead, he wanted something where a man's attendance was as welcome as a woman's.

"What's that wonderful smell?" James inquired as he walked in towards the kitchen, wearing a pair of faded blue jeans with a black t-shirt.

"It's pumpkin tart," she said. Then she quickly added, "And no, you can't have any until the party starts."

James laughed heartily, but still managed to say, "Lils, you know me too well." Then he walked over to the cabinet above their heads and started to take dishes out. "How many are coming tonight?" 

Lily thought about it for a minute, and then started to count and think out loud. "Well, there's gonna be Remus, Peter, Sirius, Alysha, Holly, and Lindsay. Oh, and us of course." She thought for a moment, then said, "So that makes eight total."  
"Wow...okay, I'll set the table now, then." James took out eight placemats and placed them on the table, then started to bring the dishes out. "Hey, Lils...is it just me or has Peter been acting a little strange lately?" Then, before she had a chance to answer, he quickly answered himself. "Nah, he's just been busy. With his new job and all, I'm sure life has been tough." He then continued to set the table.   
  
___*___*___*___*___   
  
"That was delicious!" exclaimed Holly, holding her stomach. "I can't believe I ate that much! It's been so long since I've tasted good cooking."   
The others just smiled and nodded in agreement, each complimenting Lily in their own way.   
"Well," began Sirius, "lets go into the living room. Dinner's over, we can all catch up on everything. We haven't had this kind of a reunion in such a long time."   
They each got up and started walking towards the living room, while James stayed for a moment and muttered, "clenius serenus," and the dishes made their way towards the sink.

Back in the living room, the group of friends were all walking towards the coffee table that had bean bags around it. Each of them sat down on a bean bag while James helped Lily sit down into hers.

"So, have you thought of a name for the little one yet?" Alysha asked excitedly, half bouncing up and down from the sugar she had previously consumed.

"Er...actually, no. We've been trying, though," James answered honestly.

Lindsay looked suddenly very interested, almost mischievously so. "What have you guys been thinking of?"

"I vote for William, but James here wants him to be named right after him. 'James is the only one to choose' he says." Lily looked in Remus' direction and glared at him. He was now giving a thumbs up to James, mouthing the words, How about Prongs?

"Actually," James decided to chime in, "James isn't the only one I'd like. What do you all think of Prongs?" Everyone except Lily laughed at this.

"James! This is our son, our very first child you're talking about! How can you be-" But she was interrupted by Alysha, who was in a mad fit of giggles, only able to speak between them.

"Aw, Lily, why not? I think Prongs is a perfect name! Or how about," she added, with a hint of an evil sparkle in her eye, "Padfoot?" As quickly as she said it, she was forced to take it back because of the look Lily was now giving her. She looked revolted, but the way she was staring straight at Alysha, she was boring holes into her face. "I didn't mean it, Lils! It's a joke! Have you ever heard of one of them? You haven't seemed to lately. You've been so serious!"

"How can she be serious when I'm Sirius?" Sirius asked, only getting a response of rolled eyes from all the others. "Okay, so that was a totally tired joke."

"I'm sorry anyway, to the lot of you. I guess being pregnant has been kind of weird for me, obviously. But that's why," Lily said to them, smiling slightly. "But no, I refuse to name my son after your husband, Alysha!" she exclaimed, and everyone grinned

"Well how about Christopher?" asked Holly, sincerely. Everyone seemed to want to join in on this opportunity. "That's a good name, isn't it?"

"Or what about Gary?" inquired Lindsay, piping up to put her two cents worth in. "Or Michael? Michael's a wonderful name."

The possibilities were dancing around in both James and Lily's minds. "I'm not sure," answered James. "Wormtail, what do you have to say? You haven't said a word all night!"

Peter's eyes suddenly flickered and he looked up, seeming to have been distracted the whole while previously. He thought for a moment and then answered quietly, "What do you think of Harry?"

Lily's eyes lit up and flickered in James' direction. She closed her eyes and imagined her new son, named Harry Potter. She repeated the name over and over in her mind, and then said out loud, "Harry Potter. No, not just that. Harry James Potter. That sounds absolutely wonderful!" Everyone murmured their agreement, all sending their own looks of thanks and appreciation towards Peter. "Thank you, Peter."

"No problem, Lils. What are best friends for?" he relaxed a bit, but still remained quiet as the rest of the chatter continued through the night, and til the party ended.

  
  


A/N: WOO! Chapter Two! Sorry it took me so long. Certain FRIENDS kept on distracting me! Ahem, anyway, hope you liked it. Review! Or don't! I'm just gonna keep writing anyway. Adios!


	3. Happy Birthday, Little One

A/N: Well, hello. Time for a new chapter, I dare say. I'm trying to think in advance of stuff...so if I take long, sorry. Also, some games and friends have been kinda distracting me. *glares at them* Anyway...so read, and review!  


Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything related. The brilliant mind of J. K. Rowling does, so don't sue me. But I do own anything you don't recognize.  


Chapter 3: Happy Birthday, Little One  


July 31...  


James stood in the waiting room, pacing around and looking very nervous. There wasn't anyone else in that particular room as it was still early and seemingly unoccupied. He looked as though he had been up for hours, and not gotten much rest that night. He was wearing black sweat pants with a bright green pyjama shirt. His robes were thrown on sloppily, and his black hair was uncombed and disheveled. 

Suddenly, three other young men burst through the door and ran up towards James. Each of the men looked unsettled and concerned, but still organized. They were all of James' best friends, and came as soon as Lily had gone into labor.   


"Is she okay?" asked Sirius, who looked anxious and slightly tired. His wrinkled black robes gave the hint that he had gotten up very quickly to come to the hospital.  


"She's fine, Padfoot, and she's still in labor. But, God, I'm nervous!" James explained as he looked at his three friends. "Thanks so much, you guys, for coming at such short notice. I really need you here. I'm going out of my mind."   


"Hey, what are friends for?" asked Remus in a fun way. "We're not just here for you to look at, you know!" Everyone grinned, and James even managed to laugh, which he hadn't done in a few hours. "How long have you been here, anyway?"  
  
"Oh, about an hour and a half." James looked up over the doorway, towards a sign that read 'St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries'. "This is it guys," he said, "I'm really gonna be a father."  
  
Peter smiled and put a comforting hand on James' shoulder. "And I'm sure you'll be a good one," he said. "Now, I guess we should all sit and just wait. I've heard that women can take a long time for this sort of thing.."  


The men sat in the waiting room, and although they were all nervous, they relaxed a bit and played a few games. During that time, a few other men had come in, but were quickly called out by nurses. After six hours or so, and dozing off for a few minutes each, a nurse walked in.  


"James Potter," she began, "your wife has given birth to a healthy baby boy."  


Remus let out a shout of joy, while Sirius embraced James as a brother might do. Peter jumped up and down and looked very excited.  


"I'm a father! I have a son!" James cried out, startling the nurse who looked used to quiet.  


"You can come back and see her now, all of you. But don't disturb her too much, she will need her rest very soon." The nurse then led the men through the doors and back into the corridors of the hospital. They came to the third room on the right, marked 731 and turned to walk in.  


"Hey there, Lils," whispered James, as he walked in. He saw Lily lying on the bed, holding a bundle in her arms. She looked very fatigued and red in the face, but smiled up at her husband when he sat down next to her on the bed.

"Look, James, it's our son. Harry James Potter." The little boy who was wrapped in the bundle of blankets was asleep. He was bald, with just a few strands of the same black hair as his father. His eyes opened a bit when Lily shifted her arms, and they could see his eyes were the same emerald green as Lily's. His face was a bright red, but he managed to look very peaceful while he slept in his mother's arms. 

"He's gonna be one ladies' man when he gets older. He'll be just like his old dad, Prongs." Remus smiled warmly and looked at Lily, looking radiant.

Peter looked overjoyed and elated while he looked at the new parents. "Congratulations you two, I wish you luck. Raise him to be good...but not too good!" He laughed and his eyes flickered mischievously, but he turned away. "It's kind of late, don't you think? I'm gonna head back. Are you coming, James? Or are you staying the night?"

"I think I'll head back with you guys," he turned to Lily, "is that all right?"

"Yes, dear, of course. Considering I'm probably going to be asleep for a while after this." Lily smiled back at him, and looked at Sirius, Remus, and Peter. "Thanks for coming to see me. It means a lot."

"Never would have missed this for the world. Especially since I'm going to be his godfather and all!" laughed Sirius. "But, no, congratulations, and I hope you come home soon." He turned and began to walk out of the room, beckoning for Remus and Peter to follow him.

"Right, bye Lily! Congratulations!" Remus walked out after Sirius, and Peter followed with a nod in the couples' direction.

James leaned over his wife, who was still laying on the bed. "Good night, Lily, I'll see you tomorrow. I love you so much." He then kissed her and looked down at Harry. "Goodnight and happy birthday, little one." He kissed him on the cheek and got up, followed the boys out, and they apparated to their homes.


	4. Gifted Child

A/N: Hey everyone. I decided to try to write this a little quicker. I hope you're all enjoying this so far! I've already gotten more reviews than I had planned on receiving. More would be nice, though... :P lol.. Hehe. Oh...and I hope the dates haven't gotten confusing. They're just in chronological order. So, if any problems or comments, please review and put it in there.  


Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, you know the drill!  


Chapter 4: Gifted Child  


Mid January...  


Harry smiled up at James as he held him in his arms, rocking him back and forth as Harry drank his formula from the bottle. He was almost six months old now and very handsome for the little baby he was. Harry was very well behaved, and hardly ever gave his parents any trouble. Also, he was slightly advanced for such a young boy. Starting at five months old, he slept through most of the night, only waking up a bit earlier than usual. He smiled early, and got some teeth in. Everyone figured that soon he would be speaking and walking.  


Sirius and Remus spent much of their time around him trying to turn him into a very young Marauder. Most of the time though, all they succeeded in doing was causing him to laugh.   


"Good morning, you two," said Lily as she walked downstairs and entered the living room where James was seated on the sofa with the baby in his arms. Lily was dressed in her flowered night gown, which came down to her ankles, just above her light blue slippers. Her hair was put up but not combed yet; it was still early.   


James looked up at her and smiled, "Good morning, Lily." He shifted his arms, but Harry continued to drink, almost finishing his bottle. "Did you sleep well? We tried not to wake you this morning." At that point, Harry had finished his bottle, so James lifted him up and held him upright for a few seconds.  


"Yeah, I did." She grinned and looked down at her son, who was now over James' shoulder, being burped. "He's quite the charmer, isn't he?" she asked mockingly as Harry let out a very prominent burp. James then smiled at his son and nodded. Lily put out her hands motioning for James to hand Harry to her. "I'll take him," she said.  


Glad to have gotten his weight out of his arms, he handed him over. "Thanks," he said with a warm smile. "So, are we going to be seeing anybody today?"  


"Well, I'm pretty sure that Sirius and Remus will be over. Which means that Alysha and Holly will be here, too. Is Peter coming?"  


"I don't know. He said he was gonna be really busy this week, but I hope he makes it. Linz isn't coming?"

"No," Lily said with a trace of sadness in her voice. "Her grandmother's very ill and she's been in the hospital, so Lindsay is visiting with her."   


"Oh, that's too bad. I hope she gets better."  


Twenty minutes later, the doorbell had rung, and when James opened the door, he was suddenly covered in feathers. He let out a shrill battle cry and ran out of his front door. Sirius and Remus, who had been standing there, dashed off away from James. Eventually, though, he caught up with them and wrestled with both of them. When they finished, they started walking back towards the house.  


"Sorry, we were both hoping that Harry would open the door. He has to get some jokes in at a young age!" Sirius explained to James.  


"Siri...he's not even six months old yet. How in the bloody world is he going to open that door?"  


"Well, he might have!" he said pointedly, and James and Remus laughed. "Has he talked yet? I mean, we haven't been over in a week, he could have made some major developments."

"Nope. Nothing of that sort. Though sometimes I'd reckon he was trying to speak," James answered while walking up the stairs towards the front door of his home and opening it. "Lily, we're all here now."  


Lily walked into the foyer and stopped short when she saw her husband standing there, covered in white feathers. "Um, James, why are you covered in feathers?" But she already knew the answer to this question, as Sirius and Remus were now chuckling softly, but trying to keep it to a minimum. They weren't able to contain their laughter any longer when one feather flew off of James and onto Lily. She huffed and took it off, trying to set the example and not laugh. James took his wand and said 'malius clisus' and the feathers disappeared out of sight. Just then, they heard something that none of them could explain.  


"Mummy! Daddy!" After hearing this, the four sprinted towards where the noise had come from. It was Harry's playpen.  


Gasping and out of breath, James gaped at his son. "Harry, did you just...?"  


"Daddy!" Harry cried, with a triumphant look on his face. He smiled and looked at his mother, "Mummy!"  


Sirius sat down on the couch; Remus was too astounded to think to sit down. Lily and James gathered Harry in their arms and smothered him with kisses and hugs. ("What a big boy!"; "You talked!")  


"Wow...he's really advanced. Six months old, and already began talking. You know, I reckon he's going to be a very powerful wizard one day!" Remus said, smiling broadly and a look of pride radiating off of his young face. "Hey, Siri, maybe next he'll say our names!" With that, Sirius let out a laugh and nodded in agreement. But before Harry had a chance to amaze them any further, the doorbell rang again.  


"Holly! Alysha!" exclaimed Lily, seizing the two girls' arms, and pulling them towards the family room. "Harry just spoke! He said 'mummy' and 'daddy'! Can you believe it?" she breathed out, obviously having been shaken up in a good way by all of this. When they got to the playpen, everyone just stared at Harry as though he was a spectacle in a zoo. He seemed to be very unnerved by this and his lip trembled.  


"No, don't cry, Harry, sorry." Sirius apologized, though he knew Harry couldn't understand. But Harry did seem to calm down and returned to beaming up at the adults around him. 

"Well, is anyone else coming, Padfoot?" asked James, returning to his normal state, no longer with a fixed look of shock there. 

They all spoke through the night, reminiscing on their school days, and enjoying themselves. Peter showed up, and at one point Lindsay did, too, but she had to leave quickly to get back to her grandmother. Before departing, they all spoke about their next possible gathering and couldn't wait for it to come. Slightly sad, they all left, but were comforted by the memory of seeing all of each other soon. Though Sirius and Remus were always around James and Lily, and each with their respective significant other, they enjoyed being together.

"Bye, then. See you soon..." James called into the night after everyone left. He turned back to Lily. "Well, it's just us for a while now. I'm going to go up to sleep. I'll see you soon, love." He walked upstairs and that night was officially over.

  
  


A/N: Meep. Hope you all liked it...Review!! :-D


	5. Twelve Months of Life

A/N: Hey...I just got my laptop fixed after weeks of waiting. So I hope you all can forgive me for such a long wait. Sorry. :o(

Disclaimer: No, I don't own anything except for a few socks and such. Only some of the things you don't recognize. :o).  


Chapter 5: Twelve Months of Life  


Harry just stared up at the walls and ceiling of his home where things were being put up. There were decorations, and balloons, and all sorts of party assortments. Lily and James Potter were holding their wands, casting spells to put everything up. Today was a special day. It was Harry's first birthday!  


"I hope he understands how special today is," James said, indicating Harry to Lily. He wore black and red robes over black sweat pants and a red colored shirt, all with his blue and white sneakers. His black hair was as untidy as usual, but he wasn't wearing his glasses. "God, I love him. He's the greatest thing that's ever happened to us, Lils. He and you are the two greatest things that have ever happened to me in my life."  


Lily, whose hair showed not even a slight trace of messiness, smiled. "Well the same go for the both of you. You are my world." When she smiled again, she turned, and her long black robes swayed in the air a bit. Underneath, she wore khaki colored pants and a black t-shirt with medium sleeves. Her dark hair was flowing straight, down to her shoulders, and only a slight wave to it.

"Well, in any event, today is Harry's first birthday!" While James said this, Harry continued to gape at the home. There was a myriad of decorations and balloons and his parents using their wands to put everything up. Before long, they had the whole house done up in decorations, some which moved or sparkled, some even speaking to Harry. James turned to the Muggle radio and turned it on.

Harry began dancing furiously, shaking and jumping inside of his playpen. "Daddy! Look, I dance!" he cried out to James, who turned around and laughed. He walked over to him and picked him up, dancing with him. In the middle of their song playing, they heard a voice coming from their study, so James and Harry walked over to go check it out. When they walked in, the sight that greeted them wasn't all that unusual for the family.

"Hello, James!" said just a head, sticking out from green flames sitting in a fireplace. He had blonde hair, which was half gray as well. He had a long, crooked nose with half-moon glasses resting upon them. His eyes looked down upon Harry, and he smiled brightly. "Harry! You've grown so much, my boy. Happy birthday!"

Harry smiled back shyly, green eyes shining through. He said in a small voice, "Thank, sir." Then when the man in the fireplace laughed, Harry darted behind his father's legs and hid there, only peeking out a bit.

James shook his head, smiling the whole time. "Greetings, Albus. What brings you here? Are you interested in staying for the party perhaps?" He looked down towards Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest wizards who ever lived, and waited for a response.

"Actually, it's something quite a deal more serious than that." His eyes shadowed over and he had a grim expression on his face. "I don't think this is the right time to discuss it. Today is such a happy day after all!"

"It most certainly is, you old coot!" said another voice, and Lily ran in towards the fireplace. She bent a bit and kissed Dumbledore on his nose. "We've missed you so much! Where on earth have you been?"

"One does become busy with many things. And I've spent the last week at my old friend Nicholas' house. So now that I've returned, and Harry's first birthday is upon is, I thought it best to come visit!"

"And so you were right," said another deep, familiar voice, only to belong to Sirius walking into the study. He was followed by Alysha, Remus, Holly, and Lindsay. They all came in and in turn, greeted Dumbledore. After some time of persuasion from all of the guests, Dumbledore came fully through and no longer was only a head. 

They enjoyed the dinner that Lily made. It consisted of delicious baked chicken, mashed potatoes (which Harry managed to get all over himself, of course), mixed vegetables, and a great birthday cake.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Harry! Happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang to Harry, and he giggled happily, staring at the cake with burning candles. With some help from Lily, he blew out all of his candles, and the cutting began.

"When do we open presents?" Remus asked, looking rather boyish himself at that moment. He was practically jumping up and down, and smiling and laughing so much that everyone was surprised by his actions.

James blinked. "We, Moony? Don't you mean, when does Harry open presents?" He sat back in his chair and laughed as Remus seemed to calm down a bit.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." His eyes still shone with a boylike look to them, and he enjoyed his cake along with everyone else in the house.

A short time later, the time that everyone, but especially Harry and Remus, had been looking forward to finally came. Alysha took Harry's hand and led him into the family room, with everyone else at their heels. There lay a large pile of gifts of all shapes and sizes. Harry stopped short and stared at the pile in amazement, not knowing exactly what they were there for. 

They went through the ritual of unwrapping each present, thanking that person, and writing them down so that they could send thank-you notes. It was quite a scene, with the diversity of presents that Harry was receiving. Sirius and Alysha got him an Exploding Snap game, which wasn't of much use to him yet, but could be stored for as long as needed. Holly and Remus bought him a whole set of new clothes, and a new wizard's hat, which was red and gold. Lindsay had gotten him one particular toy, which at the time was a teddy bear. What was special about it was that every time it was torn in any way, it could repair itself. And it was able to sense boredom from the child. If it did, it would change into a new toy. Dumbledore hadn't gotten a present; he promised to bring something when he had a chance, it was short notice, after all. Though Peter wasn't attending the party, he did send a present. It turned out to be a beautiful necklace designed for a man with a protection charm on it, and luck.

The last presents, though, came from Lily and James. James, from himself, gave Harry something he wouldn't be able to use for years to come; he gave his Invisibility Cloak. From Lily and James both, though, came two broomsticks. One was a small, toddler-sized version of a Cleansweep Five. The other was a regular sized Nimbus One Thousand. These were both great brands and amazing brooms. James, having been a wonderful Quidditch player himself, hoped the same of Harry.

After all the present opening was completed, everyone prepared to leave. Much time had passed since the party began, and everyone enjoyed themselves greatly. Apart from Dumbledore, who had left a while before due to business, everyone was still in the house. They each bid their farewells, and promised to get together soon again. They each left, and went off to their homes.

"I hope you enjoyed today, baby boy. I love you more than life itself, honey. Sleep well, Harry," Lily whispered to Harry while she was tucking him into his crib. James had gone to bed a few minutes before, and Lily was ready to do the same. Harry was very tired from that day's excitement, so he had no trouble falling asleep. Lily smiled happily at her son, and walked off towards her bed.

  
  


A/N: Again, I apologize for the delay. I was forced to wait quite a few weeks for them to return my laptop. Thank you for your patience. :o) I'll get a new chapter up soon, because I'm going on vacation in a few days. Enjoy reading, please review. Or don't. I don't care, I'm writing this for myself anyway.


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